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if you're looking for an Iaido class you probably would be better off either looking for either an aikido or kendo dojo in your area ...

And it's certainly not just the UK where that is true.

I've done both, and simultaneously for some time, and I'm inclined to broaden the question a bit. It's always struck me that doing a gendai art like aikido, with a prominent and modern philosophical content, is a bit of a contrast to training in a koryu art (assuming your iai is koryu, I suppose). The kendo folks always had a clear rationale for including kendo no kata and iai training - the old fogies (reasonably) observed that the uppity youths weren't real clear on the handling of a sword after all that shinai work (and enrollment in their koryu dojo was declining, too). I know lots of people like to talk about how "aikido came from the sword" and all, but I wonder what folks perceive they take out of such dual training.

mike in response to your query re muso shinden ryu in scotland.my instructor mike flynn 6th dan shihan(formerly of alameda aikikai usa and long term student of tk chiba shihan) teaches muso shinden ryu .mike is also a shihan within the sanshinkai iaido institute and studied directly with mitsuzuka shihan in japan.mike is holding an iaido seminar in glasgow soon and if youd like i will forward details as soon as they become available

mike in response to your query re muso shinden ryu in scotland.my instructor mike flynn 6th dan shihan(formerly of alameda aikikai usa and long term student of tk chiba shihan) teaches muso shinden ryu .mike is also a shihan within the sanshinkai iaido institute and studied directly with mitsuzuka shihan in japan.mike is holding an iaido seminar in glasgow soon and if youd like i will forward details as soon as they become available

That'd be really great, thanks! I'm missing my Iaido while I'm stuck up here in Aberdeen, so I'll take as much as I can get

Mike

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men."
-Martin Luther King Jr